Furniture



(No Model.)

' D. W. CANNON.

FURNITURE Patented Feb. 2, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DENNIS \V. CANNON, OF IVEST CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

FURNITURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 468,052, dated February2, 1892.

Application filed March 30, 1891. Serial No. 386,914. (No model.)

To aZZ whom may concern:

3e it known that I, DENNIS IV. CANNON, a citizen of the United States,residing at IVest Chester, Chester county, Pennsylvania, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Furniture, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates generally-to furniture of such character andconstruction as to be capable of being converted at will into a numberof distinct articles of furniture employed for different purposes,andespecially to the class of such furniture which comprises structuresconvertible into a chair, or table, as desired.

In the accompanying drawings I illustrate, and herein I describe, apreferred form of a good embodiment of my invention, the particularsubject matter claimed as novel being hereinafter definitely specified.

It is the object of my invention to provide a device of the foregoingcharacter of a simple and inexpensive construction, easily changed fromone position or adjustment to another, in which the chair when used isprovided with arms, and in which the table, when the device is used as atable, is not only of the ordinary height'of a table, but is capable ofbeing extended to form a top of any desired size.

In the drawings Figure 1 illustrates the employment of a structureembodying my invention as achair,-the removable leaves of the table topbeing shown partly in full and partly in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a sideelevational view of the device employed as a table.

In the drawings, A is the base of the structure, the same consisting, inthe form shown in the drawings, of four substantially vertical members aa a a connected by rungs b b and connected with so as to support thehorizontal member 0. The member 0 forms a seat when the device is usedas a chair, but when the device is used as a table, said member servesno purpose, except, perhaps, to assist in bracing the vertical membersor legs referred to. The two rear legs a a are rigid throughout theirlength, and are employed as the support upon which are mounted a pair ofwhat I term arm-brackets cl (1 The two front legs, a a are jointedintermediate of their length, at the points 6 e by suitable hinges,which permit the upper ends of said legs to either stand upright or tobe swung rearwardly. The arrangement and proportions of the jointedupper ends of said members, and of the arm brackets, are such that whensaid upper ends are swung rearwardly they reach to and rest upon theupper portions of said brackets, and are conveniently attached theretoby the engagement of hooks L, which said swinging ends carry, withstaples or kindred keepers Z mounted in the bracket arms. v

E is the movable or swinging frame which serves both as the back for thechair and as the top for the table, the same being united to the basalportion of the structure by a sliding connection of any preferredcharacter but preferably of that shown in the drawings.

G G are a pair of slide rods extending in parallelism along the under orinner side of said frame for a portion of its length, which rods areconveniently secured to said frame by having their ends inturned andbeing driven into the substance thereof. Said rods as to their lowerends each embody a loop or depression, g.

h h are a pair of eyes or keepers of any preferred character formed as apart of or applied to the rearward part of the upper ends of the membersa (1. through which eyes the respective rods G G are entered and inwhich they are adapted to slide in the adjustment of the device from oneposition or set to another. By reason of the depressions g in the rods Gthe frame F can be brought down in horizontal position to be used as astand or table top, notwithstanding the location of the eyes L at therear of the members a a. \Vere it not for said depressions g, the eyes71 would necessarily be so situated as to project above the members a awhich would interfere with the desirability of the structure as a chair.M are a pair of staples or eyes formed as a part of or mounted in saidframe beyond the upper ends of said rods G G. Two upper staples j areentered in the upperportions of the respective members on a and twolower staples j are entered in the lower portions of said legs.

K is a hook or similar contrivance two of which are mounted in theswinging frame.

The arrangement of the device when employed as a chair will be readilyapparent from an inspection of Fig. 2. In such use the swinging frame,assumed first in horizontal position, is slid by means of its rods Gthrough the eyes h it until the upper ends of the former reach saideyes, and said frame, being then in a vertical or substantially verticalposition, the hooks K are abreast of the staples 9' and are engagedtherewith whereby said swinging frame is locked securely to the basalportion of the structure and constitutes, as stated, the back of thechair.

The upper portions of the legs a a are swung rearwardly and rested uponthe arm brackets, in which position thehooks L which said legs bear arein range for engagement with the staples Z of said brackets, and, whenso engaged, said hinged upper members are locked firmly into position toact as arms for the chair.

To convert the device into a table, the hooks. K and L are disengagedfrom the staples in which they have been described as engaged; theswinging frame is lifted, its rods G sliding through the eyes It untilit is at the proper height. It is then brought into a horizontalposition, when its front or upper ends will rest upon the jointedmembers of the legs a a which have in the meantime been swung to anupright position. Thereupon the hooks L are engaged with the staples'11, and the hooks K engaged with the staples j, whereby the wholestructure is rendered rigid and strong.

Heretofore devices adapted to be alternately converted into chairs andtables have been defective in that owing to the necessity for theswinging member acting as the back of the chair, a limitation has beenimposed as to the size of said swinging member, and therefore only astand, or table having a small top could be provided. My inventionhowever comprehends means whereby the swinging member may be extended asfollows:

m m, n n, 0 0, andp p, are respectively pairs of cleats or socketsapplied to the inner or under surface of the swinging frame F at each ofits four'sides.

M N O and P are four extensions, adapted to fit the sides and endsrespectively of the swinging frame, and each provided with a pair oftongues, designated m n 0 and F respectively, adapted to engage with thecleats described. These extensions may be of any form and dimensionspreferred, depending upon the size and shape of the table required. Inthe drawings I have shown them as of such shape as to form a round oroval top. The tongues and lugs described are well adapted to form theunion between the swinging frame and the leaves, inasmuch as whilefirmly supporting said leaves when in place, at the same time permitsthem to be detachable and readily applied and removed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a combined chair and table, in combination, the legs, two of whichare jointed and their upper portions adapted to occupy alternatelyupright and horizontal positions to serve as supports for the table topand arms for the chair respectively, devices to support the arms whenthe latter occupy a horizontal position, the seat 0, the movable frame Fadapted for alternate employment as a chair back and table toprespectively, and means for securing said frame in its respectivepositions of adjustment, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination, a basal structure embodying a seat and legs, two ofwhich legs are rigid, and two of which are jointed, arm brackets adaptedto receive and support the upper ends of the jointed legs when thelatter are bent sidewise, eyes mounted in said rigid legs, a top, rodsmounted on or attached to the under side of said top, and engaged insaid eyes, substantially as set forth.

In combination, a basal structure embodying a seat and connected legs,two of which are rigid and two of which arejointed, arm brackets adaptedto receive and support the upper ends of the jointed legs when thelatter are bent sidewise, eyes mounted in the rear of said rigid legs, atop, rods each embodying a loop or depression mounted on or attached tothe under side of said top, and

engaged with said eyes, substantially as set forth.

4. In combination, a basal structure, embodying a seat and legs, two ofwhich legs are rigid, and two of which are jointed, arm brackets adaptedto receive and support the upper ends of the jointed legs, eyes mountedon the rigid legs, a top, rods mounted on or attached to the under sideof said top, and engaged in said eyes, a locking device such as a hookconnected with the upper end of each jointed leg and adapted to makeengagement alternately with a keeper on an arm bracket and a keeperconnected with the top, and locking devices such as hooks connected withthe lower portion of the table top and adapted to make engagementalternately with the upper and lower portions of the rigid legs,substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have hereuntosigned my 7 name this 10th day of March, A. D. 1891.

DENNIS l/V. CANNON.

In presence of- F. NORMAN DIXON, J. HOWARD MORRIS.

